


all that could be us

by Cleonhart



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Compliant, Demons, Drabble Collection, M/M, Modern Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-10-12 06:04:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17461994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cleonhart/pseuds/Cleonhart
Summary: A collection of drabbles of varying lengths, pairings and settings. Rating to change as things are added.





	1. painted devil (TaeTen)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my good friend Hyb whom I share a wavelength with and indulges my ramblings when she should be sleeping.

It was as the smoke cleared, leaving the garden dirt scorched and soot heavy in his lungs, that Taeyong came to doubt his decision.

Perhaps the dark arts were not where his expertise lied, though he was sure he had done everything correctly. Unless the powers that be were particularly picky about those who called upon damned beings from beyond the veil. Either way, the spot where his summoning circle, which had been painted on a large square of canvas, was empty save for the hissing ashes that remained.

Had he gotten it wrong? _Something_ had happened, if the fire that had flared and turned the air black with thick smoke was anything to go by. But here Taeyong was, sans the demon he had attempted to summon.

Taeyong sighed and closed the thick tome he had read the incantation from, he would have to pour over the instructions again to try and find where he had made a mistake. He had resolved himself that it had been a failure, and turned to head back inside the studio when a voice suddenly spoke out to him; disembodied and echoing despite the lack of walls for it to bounce of off.

“Why have you summoned me?”

Taeyong froze, eyes darting around to try and find the source of the airy timbre. “To make a deal.”

A sharp noise, reminiscent of someone clicking their tongue against the roof of their mouth. “Well, that’s obvious.”

“An obvious answer to an obvious question.” Taeyong bristled, not one to take a verbal beating even from a demon he could not see. “I’m an artist, I haven’t been able to produce work for almost an entire year and I’m getting desperate.”

“So you want me to give you talent?”

Taeyong stuck his nose into the air, glaring into space in lieu of not being able to make faces at a bodiless voice. “I don’t need _talent_ . I’ve been taught by a master and possess _skill_. What I need is a muse.”

There was another sound, like the cracking of ice along the surface of a frozen lake, and suddenly the voice wasn’t so bodiless.

The creature before him was otherworldly, with silver hair and wide eyes. Staring into them, it was as if Taeyong had emerged from dark depths he hadn’t known he was drowning in.

“A muse? Isn’t that a term sculptors use to sweet talk their subjects into their beds?” Taeyong had no response to the snark this time, too enraptured by the elegant slope of a jaw and the slim neck it was attached to. Taeyong dared not to look further, very aware of flash of smooth skin he had initially seen revealed by the wide open collar of his shirt.  

“Well whatever, just point to the poor soul you want me to bewitch for you and I’ll have them falling at your feet.” The demon quipped, inspecting his nails in a distinctly human show of boredom.

A beat of silence, Taeyong licked his lips. “You.”

“ _I beg your pardon?_ ”

“You, you are to be my muse.” Taeyong said breathlessly, circling the being who watched him in bewilderment. He was aware of finality in which he said it, and that it was dangerous to step on the toes of any demon, let alone one with a reputation for having a short temper. But Taeyong had made up his mind the moment he laid eyes on the silver haired male.

“That’s _not_ how this works.”

“Why not? It doesn’t matter as long as you get my soul in the end, correct? I’m only human, I’ll die off eventually and it’ll have been a mere blink in comparison to your eternity.” Taeyong stopped in front of him once more, eyes bright and focused. His mind had not felt so alight in months and his fingers itched to grab charcoal, to trace curve of his perfect mouth onto every blank piece of parchment in his studio.

The demon pondered this, lithe fingers coming up to tap at his cupid’s bow and Taeyong swallowed hard. Suddenly that hand shot out and grasped the front of Taeyong’s shirt, tugging him forward until their faces were a hair's width apart.

“You’re annoyingly persistent and sly, but I like that. I have no time for the meek.” Taeyong’s blood thrummed in his veins and he tired very hard to concentrate on the words instead of the hot breath fanning across his lips.

“I’ll be your muse, until your hands can no longer create. Be it upon death or the decay of old age, your soul is mine. Do we have a deal?” He sounded haughty, as if giving into the silly whims of a child.

Taeyong stared unblinkingly into irises so dark it was difficult to discern where his pupil’s began. “What is your name?”

An amused quirk of his mouth, moments of thoughtful silence. “You may call me Ten.”

“My name is Taeyong, we have a deal, Ten.”

Taeyong was tugged forward once more, those plush lips sealing over his in a searing kiss. Taeyong grunted in pain when a sharp canine sunk into the flesh of his bottom lip, drawing blood and locking their contract.

Ten pulled back, licking off the smear of red at the corner of his mouth and grinned at Taeyong. A thrill of something that bordered on fear and excitement ran through Taeyong, goosebumps raising on his skin, and he grinned back.

“Fantastic, shall we begin?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hello @neocleontech on twitter


	2. royal icing (JaeYong)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another late birthday gift, this time for the wonderful Ayesha who is such an inspiration and an absolute riot.

“Chef,  _ you-know-who _ has been spotted making his way to the kitchen.”

 

Taeyong sighed and set down his piping bag; it seemed as though decorating these chocolate banners would have to be put on hold until he could give them his full attention. He started cleaning up his station and gestured for the kitchen hand who had delivered the news to roll over the cooling rack where half a dozen vanilla cake layers of varied sizes had been sitting for a while and were probably ready to be iced. That wouldn’t require as much concentration and would most likely entertain his approaching guest.

 

As if to announce his arrival, there was a rise in hushed whispers across the kitchen. Taeyong kept his gaze resolutely focused on portioning out and adding food colouring to the buttercream icing he had taken out of the fridge, even as he heard the choruses of “ _ Good afternoon, your Highness!” _ from the rest of the kitchen staff and the giggles that followed. 

 

“Run along, Jaemin. I’m sure I’ll be in here for a while, and tell Doyoung to start preparing the apples for tonight's dessert.” 

 

Jaemin finished wheeling over the rack and gave Taeyong a mock salute before turning to the door, almost crashing into the person trying to enter. 

 

“Oh, woops, sorr-  _ oh! _ Sorry, your Highness!” 

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Taeyong could see how the prince chuckled and shook his head, ruffling Jaemin’s hair affectionately. “Don’t worry about it. I’m the visitor here, so I should have been watching myself. Go on, I’m sure chef Taeyong has given you something important to do.” 

 

With that, the door swung open and closed and the room was blanketed in quiet, the only noises being Taeyong’s spatula against a metal bowl and the faint sounds of life on the other side of the door. Taeyong set his bowl of blue buttercream down and picked up a bowl of uncoloured icing, squeezing in a few drops of red food dye before starting to fold it in with a spatula. He had almost forgotten about his company entirely until the silence was interrupted by a smooth voice. 

 

“I like that colour.” 

 

Taeyong hummed, adding another drop of food-colouring, not quite satisfied with it yet. “Is that so?” 

 

“It is.” 

 

What was unsaid was the striking resemblance between the buttercream and Taeyong’s current hair colour. Taeyong could hear the smirk in Jaehyun’s voice, but he refused to take the bait. This was a song and dance he’d grown quite used to in the last few months since the prince had been making regular visits to the palace’s kitchen; more specifically, to the head baker. 

 

Taeyong’s work station was organized chaos.  Several bowls full of multi-coloured buttercreams were scattered on the workbench. Jaehyun was looking at the set-up curiously, having gotten used to Taeyong decorating cakes with piping bags or fondant. 

 

Taeyong started with the white, slathering it evenly between layers and crumb coating the sides. Taeyong prepared two, three-tiered cakes this way, movements practiced and precise. It was quiet between them, Jaehyun allowing Taeyong to focus on his task, but Taeyong knew it wouldn’t last long. 

 

As expected, Jaehyun’s curiosity got the better of him as he watched Taeyong begin to scoop up globs of different icings with spatulas and dot them along the sides of a cake. “What are you doing?” 

 

The cake was spotted with different colours and Taeyong looked up, meeting Jaehyun’s eyes for the first time that day with a knowing smirk. “Be patient and you’ll see, my prince.” 

 

Taeyong picked up a metal tool used to smooth down buttercream and placed one flat side against the side of the cake before spinning the rotating stand it was sitting on. There was an audible gasp from Jaehyun as the colours immediately began to spread and blend along the sides of the cake, creating vibrant streaks of pastel. Taeyong wiped the excess icing into an empty bowl and added more spots of colour where he needed them before transferring the cake back onto the rack and starting on the next one. 

 

“They’re so pretty. What are they for?” Jaehyun whispered, and Taeyong grinned. 

 

“They’re for a birthday party. One of your father’s officials has a son who is turning ten and having quite the get together here at the palace.” 

 

The King’s kindness and fondness for children was common knowledge, reflected perfectly in the loving treatment of his only child who grew up to be just as kind. 

 

Jaehyun let out a dreamy sigh. “How wonderful. I’m sure everyone will love them.” 

 

Taeyong set another finished layer aside and looked up to see the warm, enraptured face of the prince and was startled to find that gaze directed towards him and not the cake. Taeyong looked away quickly and cleared his throat, schooling his expression before turning back to Jaehyun with a neutral look. 

 

“Would you...would you like to try?” he asked, setting up a brand new layer to get iced. 

 

“Could I?” Jaehyun breathed, excitement clear in his cocoa powder irises; it was dimmed by a nervous pinch of his brows, and Taeyong wished to smooth them out with his thumb. “Oh, no-- I wouldn’t want to ruin your work,” Jaehyun mumbled, and Taeyong couldn’t help but grin at the red tinting Jaehyun’s ears. 

 

“It’s quite simple and hard to mess up, and I’m sure you’ve learned a thing or two amount technique considering the amount of time you spent watching me,” Taeyong assured, stepping aside and leaving space for Jaehyun to join him at the workbench.

 

Jaehyun seemed a little skeptical but stepped into place, accepting the metal scraper when Taeyong handed it to him. Taeyong spared him enough to swipe on dollops of different icings onto the cake first, and then took the hand with the scraper gently in his own, guiding it to rest on the cake. 

 

“All right, now use your other hand to gently turn the cake stand. Keep this one steady but don’t press too hard, just enough to drag--  _ there  _ we go.” 

 

The red from Jaehyun’s ears spread down to his neck, but he had a happy smile on his face, his gaze on the beautiful blending of colours right in front of him. Taeyong continued to gently encourage him, prodding Jaehyun to add more colours where he thought the cake needed it and letting out a low whistle when they were both satisfied with the layer. 

 

“Well,” Taeyong hummed, stepping back. “If you ever decide taking over the throne isn’t for you, then you might just have have a job down here in the kitchen.” 

 

Jaehyun laughed and handed the tool back to Taeyong, who placed it on the counter. Neither of them stepped away and both simultaneously became aware of the lack of distance between them. Taeyong stared into Jaehyun’s eyes, catching the way they widened when Taeyong’s gaze flicked down to his lips. Jaehyun swallowed thickly, a brilliant blush overtaking his cheeks that looked so smooth and soft. 

 

“Did you want to try a bit of the icing?” Taeyong offered quietly, breaking the silence that had settled over them. Jaehyun cleared his throat and nodded, eyes not leaving Taeyong’s. “It’s not too sweet, and it’s vanilla, which I believe is your favourite isn’t it?” 

 

“Yes, I’d love to try some,” Jaehyun stammered back just as quietly; it was almost thrilling seeing the prince so flustered. 

 

Taeyong reached over and dipped his fingers into the bowl of excess, multi-coloured icing. He smiled gently at Jaehyun and smeared the buttercream over his bottom lip, looking at Jaehyun expectedly. Jaehyun’s jaw loosened with shock, looking as if he had stopped breathing for a moment. 

 

Nervousness crept up on Taeyong the longer Jaehyun stood frozen, and he began to regret his boldness. Had he gotten the signals wrong? 

 

“Ahh, sorry. That was out of li-- _ mmhf!” _ Taeyong’s apology was cut off as Jaehyun finally surged forward and pressed their lips together. Taeyong squeaked when he felt a hot tongue swipe across his lips. Taeyong parted them and moaned softly as that tongue slipped inside of his mouth, curling against his own and coaxing him to kiss back. He threw his arms around Jaehyun’s neck, careful of his fingers still covered in icing, and pushed them until Jaehyun was pressed back against the workbench.

 

It seemed surreal, kissing the crown prince in his little private corner work room in the kitchen, the sounds of life just on the other side of the door. He was grounded when Jaehyun took hold of his waist, pulling him forward until they were flush together. At the same time, Jaehyun drew back from the kiss, panting softly and licking his own lips that were spread in a wide grin. 

 

“I’m sorry, chef. I’m afraid I can’t give you an accurate review of your icing,” he confessed with a breathy chuckle, and Taeyong raised an eyebrow, promoting Jaehyun to explain. 

 

Jaehyun’s grin widened and Taeyong felt his heart skip. “I can’t tell if it tastes delicious on its own or if it is especially so because it was served on your lips.” 

 

Taeyong groaned and let his head drop onto Jaehyun’s shoulder, earning him a throaty laugh. He lifted his head when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and watched Jaehyun bring his frosted fingers to his lips. Taeyong’s breath caught in his throat when his fingers were enveloped in that wet warmth, and he tucked his bottom lip between his teeth while they were sucked clean. 

 

Jaehyun hummed, pulling off of Taeyong’s digits and tilting his head as if considering something. “Definitely still tasty, though I think I preferred licking it from your lips.” 

 

Taeyong huffed, unable to help a smile which Jaehyun mirrored. The kitchen continued to bustle outside of the closed door, completely unaware of their close proximity.

 

“I’ll have to remember that the next time I have you sample one of my treats, your Highness.” 

 

“Jaehyun,” he insisted, pressing a kiss to the back of Taeyong’s hand. “Please, call me Jaehyun.” 

 

It was Taeyong’s turn to blush. “Oh, I couldn’t. If anyone were to hear--”

 

“Then only when we’re alone. Please, Taeyong?” Jaehyun pleaded, and who was Taeyong to deny him anything when he pouted like that?

 

“Are you planning to be alone with me often, Jaehyun?” Taeyong hummed, catching the way Jaehyun shivered at the sound of his name on Taeyong’s tongue. 

 

“How about tonight after dinner?” There was a cheshire curl to Jaehyun’s grin but an honest twinkle of hope in his eyes. Taeyong smiled back and tipped his head up to brush their lips together, a sweet taste lingering on them. 

 

“I’ll bring dessert.” 

 


	3. and every morning after (DoJae)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To the sweetest and sassiest girl I know <3 Happy late Birthday, Negi.

Jaehyun awakened to the sound of the shower going on in the other room. The cold spot next to him where a warm body used to be told him that Doyoung had been showering for a while and would probably be done soon. It was with great effort that he rolled out of bed, grunting at the cool wood paneling against his feet as he made his way to the bathroom. The door was fully closed, probably to muffle the noise as much as possible, and Jaehyun knocked briefly before entering.

 

He was immediately hit with a face full of steam that smelled like Doyoung’s body wash, and it brought a smile to his face. Jaehyun closed the door behind him and waddled sleepily to the sink, proceeding to lazily brush his teeth, eyes closed while he enjoyed the warmth on his bare chest and arms.

 

The shower shut off at the same time he spat out his toothpaste, and he turned his head after rinsing his mouth to catch sight of a very naked, very _wet_ Doyoung pulling back the curtain.

 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Doyoung gruffed, grabbing the fluffy white towel on the hook next to the tub and beginning to pat himself down. Jaehyun laughed and shook his head, leaning his hip against the counter.

 

“No thank you, I’m done with photos for a while. We took so many yesterday I can still see little spots in my vision.”

 

“Technically Johnny took all the photos, you just stood there and smiled dopily at me.” Doyoung clarified, hooking the towel back up and slipping on the robe that hung next to it.

 

“You say that as if you weren’t smiling as well.” Jaehyun pouted, mourning the loss of Doyoung’s body on full display.

 

Doyoung stepped out of the shower, and Jaehyun held his arms out, grinning when the older man immediately stepped into his embrace.

 

“I smiled _too_ much. My cheeks hurt. I’m never smiling again, you can’t make me.”

 

Jaehyun rolled his eyes and pressed an affectionate kiss to Doyoung’s damp hair before bending down and scooping Doyoung into his arms, chuckling at the surprised squawk he got in return.

 

“The locals might find it a bit strange if you spend the rest of our vacation frowning.” Jaehyun chuckled, and Doyoung sniffed mock indignance, lips pinching together to hold back the small grin already threatening to curve his cheeks.

 

It took a bit of maneuvering to get the bathroom door back open, Jaehyun insisting he could do so with his elbow before eventually giving up and letting Doyoung open it. They both shivered as they walked out of the steamy room and into the bedroom that felt chilled in comparison. The weather outside was quite hot, and it was nearing afternoon. The air conditioning must have kicked in at some point.

 

Jaehyun walked them back to bed, laying Doyoung down on his side first and climbing in after him. He didn’t let Doyoung get far before he curled his arms around him, pulling the smaller man to his chest.

 

“We should get up soon, we have plans.” Doyoung mumbled, not making a move to pull away.

 

“Our lunch reservation isn’t until 1:30 and it’s not even--” Jaehyun craned his head up to see the digital clock on the bedside table. “--12:00 yet, and the restaurant is right across the beach. We have _plenty_ of time to stay _right here._ ” Jaehyun assured, tightening his arms around Doyoung and grinning as Doyoung chuckled softly.

 

“Fine, then what do you plan to do in the _plenty_ -of-time we have?” Doyoung questioned, his breath hitching as Jaehyun answered by pushing his hips forward, grinding against Doyoung’s ass. Even with the layers of Jaehyun’s sleep pants and Doyoung’s robe in the way, he could still feel Jaehyun’s semi rocking against him and Doyoung groaned.

 

“I _just_ showered!” He whined, glaring at the wall opposite of him when he felt Jaehyun’s lips curl into a grin against the nape of his neck.

 

“I’ll just have to make sure to clean up my mess then.”

 

Doyoung sighed, the sound trailing into a soft moan when one of Jaehyun’s hands crept down to cup Doyoung’s growing erection through his bathrobe.

 

“Mm, I’m still loose.” Doyoung whispered, and Jaehyun paused. A warm flush crept up on Doyoung’s cheeks, and he was glad Jaehyun couldn’t see his face. “I’m still loose from last night.”

 

“ _Fuck_ , can you reach the lube?” Jaehyun groaned. Doyoung stretched an arm out, just managing to grab the bottle that had been left on the nightstand from the night before. It was new but already half used.

 

Jaehyun took the bottle from his hand and retracted himself from Doyoung for a moment, leaning up on one elbow to uncap the lubricant and coat three of his fingers. He set the bottle within reach and bit his lip when Doyoung gripped the bottom of his robe, pulling it up just enough to expose his backside. The front of the robe was still closed and bunched up around the tops of his thighs, trapping his cock inside.

 

“How do you want it? Just like this?” Jaehyun whispered. Doyoung nodded, looking over his shoulder to lock eyes with Jaehyun. They stared at each other for a moment before Jaehyun smiled, Doyoung returning the upturn of lips.

 

Jaehyun broke the stare to look down as he brought his fingers to Doyoung’s entrance, moaning when he experimentally slipped two in from the start and they went in smoothly. Doyoung gasped and clenched, fingers curling into the sheets.

 

Jaehyun pumped those fingers in and out of Doyoung a few times before teasing in the third, pushing it in when he got an encouraging moan.

 

“God, _fuck_ , Jaehyun.” Doyoung whined, arching and rocking his hips back against Jaehyun’s fingers. They were both fully hard now, a wet patch growing in the front of Jaehyun’s pajama bottoms.

 

Jaehyun curled his fingers deep inside Doyoung, angling up and to the left until he felt the older man shudder and clench, a hoarse cry leaving his lips. The pads of his fingers rubbed mercilessly against Doyoung’s prostate, and Doyoung whined again, reaching back to clutch at Jaehyun’s forearm.

 

“E-Enough! Just get in me, _now_.”

 

Jaehyun snorted but obeyed, slowly pulling his fingers out and scooping the lube bottle back up. “Whatever you want, _princess_.”

 

Doyoung huffed at the pet name. “You’re calling _me_ princess after how much I pampered you last night? I was ready to go to bed after two rounds but somebody wanted to get fucked so badly they kept whimpering for it.”

 

Jaehyun rolled onto his back to free up both his arms, shimmying his pants down his hips and legs till he could kick them off completely. “Yeah, and as I recall that was after I made you cum two times!”

 

He coated his cock in lube, giving himself a couple pumps and groaning softly. He wiped his hand off on the sheets and rolled back into place, scooting in closer to Doyoung, placing a hand on his thigh and gripping it. Jaehyun pulled on it until he could slot one of his own legs between Doyoung’s, hooking Doyung’s raised one over his hip and opening him up for Jaehyun’s cock to slip between his cheeks.

 

Lined up with Doyoung’s slick entrance, Jaehyun teased the head against his rim for a moment, just long enough to have Doyoung whining and pushing back against him impatiently.

 

“Jaehyun, I swear to god. I’m going to kill you if you don’t fuck me right now.”

Jaehyun grinned and finally pressed forward, head tipping back as his cock was enveloped by Doyoung’s heat.

 

Despite being loose from having sex the night before, Doyoung still felt tight around him. He sat there for a few beats, enjoying the feeling of being connected with Doyoung.

 

“I love you.” He whispered, brushing his lips against the curve of Doyoung’s jaw.

 

Doyoung hummed and turned his head, catching Jaehyun’s mouth with his in a quick kiss. A silent _I love you too_.

 

Wasting no more time, Jaehyun began to rock his hips, pulling out as far as he could and sinking into Doyoung over and over. Jaehyun buried his face in Doyoung’s neck, moaning and mouthing at the hickies that hadn’t started fading yet.

 

Doyoung gripped and tugged at the sheets, turning his head to moan into the pillow. In their position, Jaehyun couldn’t reach in as deep as usual, but at that angle, Jaehyun was fucking almost directly into his prostate with every push of his cock. It was driving Doyoung to orgasm much quicker than usual.

 

Jaehyun paused his thrusts to grind his cock into that spot, delighting in the shout of pleasure it drew from Doyoung and the way it made him shake in Jaehyun’s arms. He resumed his pace and precome pearled at the tip of Doyoung’s cock that rubbed against the soft white material of his robe with every slam of Jaehyun’s hips.

 

“J-Jaehyun, I’m-- _fuck_ \--I’m close.” Doyoung whimpered, reaching down to tug it open and freeing his leaking cock from its confines.

 

“Me too, baby. Can I cum inside you, please?” Jaehyun asked softly, pressing his forehead against Doyoung’s shoulder blade.

 

Doyoung groaned, wrapping his hand around his cock and beginning to stroke himself along with Jaehyun’s thrusts. He couldn’t help the small smile that tugged on his lips as he peeked over his shoulder to look at Jaehyun, fondness clear in his eyes despite his tone. “God, I spoil you too much. _Ahh,_ yes, you can.”

 

Jaehyun moaned out his appreciation and picked up the pace, resolutely focused on bringing them both over the edge. Doyoung let his head drop back against the pillow, mouth parted in pleasure.

 

It didn’t take long after that for their orgasms to take over them, Jaehyun’s hands tight on Doyoung’s thin waist as his hips stuttered, emptying himself inside of the older man. Doyoung’s hand fell away from his cock, and he reached back to place it over Jaehyun’s. He gripped Jaehyun’s hand tight while his back curved, and he spilled onto the sheets with a breathy call of Jaehyun’s name.

 

They were quiet while coming down from their highs. Jaehyun’s fingers weaved between Doyoung, and he smiled at the sound of metal meeting metal.

 

Doyoung squeezed Jaehyun’s fingers and brought their joined hands to rest on the pillow in front of his face, taking in the the sight of their rings beside each other.

 

“Is this what every morning of our honeymoon is going to be like?” Doyoung said, sounding amused and turning their hands to watch the sunlight dance off of the gold wedding bands. Jaehyun hummed, peppering kisses along the slope of Doyoung’s neck and nosing at the spot under his ear.

 

“And every morning after."


	4. 0:00 (JohnJae)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small, un-beta'd birthday fic for Jaehyun after hearing that Johnny was waiting outside of Jaehyun's door to be the first person to wish him happy birthday. I tried to keep it short and sweet. Happy birthday peachy-boy and happy belated birthday to our espresso prince <3

_Knock knock._

 

He had been expecting it, sitting up in bed with the lights on. He was watching some show on Netflix with only one earbud in to make sure he didn’t miss the inevitable knocking of someone coming to greet him. Right as his phones clock turned over to 0:00, there was the _tap tap_ of knuckles on the wooden surface.

 

He took his time getting out of bed, setting his phone and earbuds down on the nightstand and straightening out his hoodie. He was pretty sure he knew who was waiting on the other side.

 

When he eventually made it to the door, he opened it and was surprised not just to find the person he had expected, but rather _persons_.

 

Johnny and Donghyuck both beamed at him and that was all the warning he got before he was wrapped up in a tight bear hug by two sets of arms.

 

“Happy birthday!”

 

“Happy birthday, hyung!”

 

Jaehyun laughed and wiggled his hands that were stuck to his thighs, his arms caged in their embrace. “Thank you.”

 

Behind him, he could hear his phone vibrating, no doubt texts from other friends and family. A door down the hall opened and Taeyong poked his head out, giving him a friendly wave.

 

“Happy birthday! Yuta and Doyoung are in here passed out but I’m sure they’ll greet you in the morning.”

 

“Thanks, hyung.” Jaehyun grinned, flapping one of his hands and Taeyong rolled his eyes fondly at Johnny and Donghyuck who still hadn’t let Jaehyun go. Taeyong retreated back into his bedroom and Jaehyun grunted, nudging someones calve with his foot.

 

“Alright, alright. I feel the love, guys.”

 

Donghyuck was the first to let go, but not before smacking a wet kiss on his cheek. Jaehyun snorted and craned his neck to wipe his cheek on his shoulder.

 

“I wanted to be the first one to greet _my_ roommate, but this guy was hovering outside your door like a weirdo.” Donghyuck huffed, arms crossing over his chest. Jaehyun turned his head to try and look at Johnny but the older man had his face buried in Jaehyun’s shoulder, arms still tight around his torso.

 

Jaehyun hummed, amusement tugging at his lips. “Is that so? Well, I _think_ you might have said it like a half second earlier so-”

 

Donghyuck whooped and Johnny pulled back from Jaehyun’s neck with an offended gasp. “He _did not!_ ”

 

“Did too! I was the first one to greet Jaehyun hyung on his birthday!” Donghyuck singsonged, turning away and ambling back down the hallway to Mark’s room, task seemingly completed. Jaehyun was sure if his leg was fully healed up he’d be skipping. Before closing the door he stage whispered another birthday greeting and Jaehyun laughed.

 

Johnny was still pouting, plush bottom lip jutted out and Jaehyun would have caught it between his teeth if they weren’t still in the hallway.

 

“Alright you big baby, let’s go inside.” Jaehyun tried to extract himself from Johnny’s embrace bit it seemed like Johnny had another plan. Instead he loosened his hold for just a moment, bending his legs and tightening his arms around Jaehyun’s waist. As soon as it dawned on him what Johnny was doing, he was already being lifted and Jaehyun yelped. His freed arms looped around Johnny’s neck, keeping him from tipping back while Johnny waddled them into the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

 

Jaehyun was dumped unceremoniously back on his bed and, the wind knocked out of him when the rather large body of his boyfriend landed right on top of him. He was allowed to breathe a moment later when Johnny rolled off of him, but he didn’t go far, latching back onto Jaehyun’s middle and cuddling up to his side. Jaehyun wanted to reprimand Johnny for such rough manhandling on his birthday, but the complaints died on his lips when he felt feather light kisses being pressed along his neck and jawline.

 

A comfortable silence settled over them, Johnny shifting every now and then to pepper kisses along his cheeks and down to his clavicles. When he was sure he had covered every millimeter of surface he could reach, Johnny picked up one of Jaehyun’s hands and continued his path along Jaehyun’s fingertips. Kisses were pressed to every knuckle and the joints in between. Jaehyun squirmed when Johnny got to his palm, the feeling of lips whispering across the sensitive skin a little ticklish. Two more, one placed on the back of his hand and another one on the inside of his wrist where his pulse stuttered in response.

 

“Are you done?” Jaehyun chuckled, ignoring the warmth he could feel in the tips of his ears and bleeding down to his cheeks.

 

Johnny pushed himself up and swung a leg over to bracket Jaehyun’s thighs with his knees. His hands pressed into the pillows on either sides of Jaehyun’s head, a wicked smile on his face.

 

“Not even close, I’m going to kiss all of you.”

 

“All of me?” Jaehyun questioned, eyebrow cocked. Johnny just grinned down at him. So it was going to be a _very_ happy birthday. He’d be losing quite a bit of sleep but Jaehyun supposed he couldn’t complain.

 


	5. a divine comedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by group chat shenanigans and Taeyong being the divine creature he is

Taeyong could feel the difference before he even opened his eyes.

 

It wasn’t jarring however, the realization that something was different settled over him gently as he eased into consciousness.

 

He was a god.

 

The understanding of this fact came upon him like one would come to know the weather, looking up at the sky and discerning that water pouring down meant it was raining. This warm, tingling sensation inside of Taeyong was godliness.

 

He wasn’t sure what to do with this information, so he did nothing.

 

“Hyung,” Mark was squinting at him. It wasn’t a rare occurrence as Mark wasn’t a fan of contacts and seldom wore his glasses, but it seemed that this time it was for a reason. “Did something change? You seem...different.”

 

“Different how?” Taeyong asked calmly, placing the rice paddle back in it’s holder after scooping out a portion into his bowl. Of course Mark was the first to notice, Taeyong felt a spark of pride at Mark’s observational skills so early in the morning.

 

“I don’t know, just... _different._ ” Ahh, maybe not so much observational but rather intuitive.

 

Taeyong didn’t respond and instead ruffled Mark’s hair, not missing the deep blush and the way the younger man seemed to perk up at the touch as if energized by it.

 

By mid-afternoon, Taeyong knew that everyone could tell there had been a change. Some were better at hiding it while Yuta took to blatantly staring at him. No one else but Mark had asked however, and Taeyong was fine with that.

 

It wasn’t what he _was_ that was confusing. It seemed that with this manifestation came an immediate understanding of, well, _everything_. Taeyong was born a latent god whose powers had only now just come into being. He could feel that there were others like him, closer than he would have expected, but he knew what he was and it was okay.

 

What Taeyong wasn’t entirely sure of, was what to do about it. Taeyong had no time for divinity, he had a boy band to run.

 

That being said, Taeyong prided his group on having an open-communication policy. He appreciated the others keeping their questions to themselves and waiting for him to address it.

 

He explained during dinner.

 

“So you’re like, a _god_ god? Like a _god?_ ” Mark’s tone was questioning but not incredulous, in fact gauging his members reactions and expressions, it seemed none of them were skeptical. They all seemed to accept this new information as fact just as Taeyong had.

 

Taeyong nodded, swallowing a bite of pork belly. Jaehyun had made dinner that night. “Yeah, there are lots of us actually, seems like I’m a bit of a late bloomer.”

 

“What are you the god _of_ , exactly?” Jaehyun asked, head tilted and chin resting on his hand. “All gods are in charge of stuff, right? Is it like Shintoism?”

 

“Taeyong _does_ get pissy if we ignore him.” Yuta snickered and Taeyong stuck it tongue out at him.

 

“It’s a little similar I suppose, we all have purposes. Mine seems to be to inspire.” He mumbled the last part, face turning pink as grins of understanding spread across the table.

 

“What do you mean by inspire?” Johnny asked, prodding Taeyong to elaborate despite the knowing quirk on his bow lips as well.

 

“More specifically, I am a god of kindness, chosen family, and dancing. My influence inspires kindness and creativity in people.” _In humans_. He wasn’t one of those anymore, he never really was.

 

“So basically nothing has changed, you just glow a little bit.” Doyoung stated and Taeyong’s hand flew up to touch his cheek.

 

“Wha- do I _glow?_ ”

 

“Slightly more than usual, yes. It’s been a little distracting all day.” Johnny huffed out a laugh and Taeyong could feel his face heating up. He hadn’t realized that it was visible.

 

“Ah, that explains this morning!” Mark suddenly pipes up, digging into his hoodie for his phone and tapping at the screen before turning it to show everyone a note filled top to bottom with text. Mark had been typing into the device all day and almost seemed restless when he had to put it away.

 

“After you touched me on the head this morning I just had the urge to write. Lyrics, poems, just little lines. It all came pouring out!”

 

“You write poetry?” Mark shot a startled look at Jungwoo who seemed amused and very intrigued, locking his phone and pocketing it with an embarrassed flush. Taeil who was on Mark’s left eyed Mark’s pocket with a devious little grin and Taeyong held back a sigh, he knew he’d have to deal with that later.

 

“Does manager hyung know?” Doyoung asked, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “Does he even need to? You seem pretty relaxed about this whole thing considering.”

 

“I think he’s like the rest of you were, he knows something is different but can’t really put a finger on it. I think I’ll keep it that way for now but if he asks I’ll probably fess up. And there’s not much to be done, I don’t really think this is going to interfere with NCT so I’m not worried.” Taeyong explained with a shrug. He didn’t mention that a few of the others he is now aware of were in groups much older than theirs. If they could make it work, so could he.

 

That seemed to be enough for everyone, they continued their meal and split chores accordingly. The subject wasn’t brought back up until later when Mark had hid behind Taeyong as a mischievous Taeil and Jungwoo were trying to swipe his phone. Mark literally hid behind Taeyong’s back, which was redundant considering they were the same height, murmuring something about Taeyong smiting them for being nosy.

 

Taeyong didn’t smite anyone but he did lecture them on respecting privacy. Nothing really had changed at all.  

 

The week went on as normal, there were jokes cracked about his sudden transition into godhood and many more questions. _Can you like, read my mind?_ They had their weekly skype call with the WayV members and had explained it all to them too. None of them seemed to be very surprised either. The last to know was Donghyuck whose only reaction on the other end of the line was to whine about wanting to be a god too. Everything was relatively the same, though there was something strange happening that Taeyong didn’t think much of at first but increasingly became a problem as the days passed by.

 

“Has anyone seen my 3DS stylus?”

 

His stuff kept going missing. He wasn’t _losing_ things. Taeyong doesn’t lose things. They kept going missing. And it was all random things. The case for his glasses, his favourite tea mug, a single earring, the stylus for his 3DS and he could _swear_ some of his unde-

 

“Oh yeah, it’s with the shrine.” Taeil answered from the couch, eyes not leaving his phone. Taeyong froze from where he was looking in the The Stuff Drawer next to the television.

 

“The _what?_ ”

 

They had built him a shrine. It was in Yuta and Taeil’s shared room in the part of the closet that had become emptier with Sicheng’s departure to China for a while. They had apparently gotten permission from him to do it with the promise that it would be relocated before he got back.

 

It wasn’t much; a bedside table dragged into the cleared space, a few battery operated tealights created a warm glow that illuminated the collection of photo cards of him at least one of each of the other members had pulled every time they bought their own albums. Those and a few of his polaroids were taped to a backboard made of his version of the Regulate album, his missing stuff scattered on the surface of the table in the middle of the ring of tealights. Where had they even gotten those?

 

Taeyong took all of it in, jaw slackened in shock and the members all crowded behind him. His face blanched when he noticed a very colourful garment neatly folded among the pile of his stuff. “Is that my _underwear?_ ”

 

“We took it from your clean pile.” Yuta assured and Taeyong whipped around to glare weakly at him.

 

“You’re a god, all god’s have shrines right?” Jaehyun defended, although having the decency to look at least a little bit sheepish. Taeyong sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t really be mad at them, it was mostly all harmless things that they took and it was all in his name anyways. Taeyong even felt a little flattered.

 

“If I give you things to put in the shrine, can I have that stuff back?” He grumbled, holding back a smile when everyone visibly relaxed seeing that they weren’t in trouble. He traded what was taken for a facemask with a broken strap, an old pair of earbuds, his pair of backup glasses and another pair of clean underwear that Taeyong didn’t wear as often because Yuta insisted it was important they had one. It was all stuff he didn’t need and the members looked so genuinely pleased at seeing the altar all set up. He let them off with a warning to just ask next time they wanted to add to it.

 

“Our god is so merciful.” Johnny teased later that night, lips pressed to Taeyong’s ear after settling into bed behind him. Taeyong hummed, eyes closing at the feeling of a large, warm palm sliding up his sweater and gliding along his bare stomach.

 

“And what is it you think you’re doing?” Taeyong made no move to stop Johnny’s exploring hands, breath hitching when those fingers wandered lower, cupping him through his basketball shorts.

 

“What is a god without a dutiful follower to worship him?” Johnny whispered, pressing his hips forward and grinding against Taeyong, drawing another sweet sound from his lips.

 

Yes, nothing much had changed at all, but being a god definitely had its perks.

 


End file.
